I am new to this board. Someone recommended that I look at this board as part of my exploration of schools.
I have looked into many schools and talked with many educational consultants and parents about their advantages and disadvantages. I have to say that my strong impression is that Hyde is in a class by itself, in many respects. Thus far I have not encountered this kind of intense debate about a school's model and program. Controversies about Hyde, alleged scandals at the school, etc., are very disturbing. My overall impression is that Hyde has a relatively small number of passionate supporters who buy into the model and a huge number of equally passionate critics. I can't say I've ever encountered more sustained criticism about a school and its treatment of students and parents (although Hyde certainly has its fans, as this board shows). While some of Hyde's critics on this board seem to take potshots and provide only superficial (and occasionally immature) criticisms, I'm very impressed with the number of very thoughtful, insightful and intense comments from a number of parents (and students perhaps?) who seem to know Hyde very well.
It seems clear that Hyde has one model that it tries to impose on every student. If it's true that Hyde accepts many students with major behavior and mental health issues (that's the strong impression I'm getting), that approach is very troubling to me. If I've learned anything over the years, it's that programs need to be sensitive to kids' individual needs. For that reason, primarily, I wouldn't consider sending my child to Hyde. The Hyde model seems very superficial compared to what I've heard about other schools; it may work well for some, but I get the impression that it doesn't work well for many and that the attrition rate is very high.
I'm also very troubled by what sounds like Hyde's very doctrinaire approach and dominance by one family and its close allies. Reading the comments on this site from a couple of Hyde supporters, I sense a strong tone that's rather patronizing, admonishing, defensive, and finger-pointing. I haven't picked up that attitude in my conversations with parents and staff of the other schools I've explored. Is that style typical of what one finds at Hyde?
I should also add that I recently chatted with two experts in the boarding school world who expressed serious concerns about Hyde's "arrogance" and "doctrinaire" style. These education professionals are very well informed and were able to offer thoughtful insights about a whole range of schools. This pattern of feedback is steering me away from Hyde. My strong sense is that there are other schools for struggling adolescents that are a much better fit.
